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How to Say ‘It takes about 40 minutes.’ in Japanese

だいたい40分です。

daitai 40 pun desu

[daitai yonjuu]

💬 Usage Tip: [だいたい] means “about/approximately,” [40分] is “40 minutes,” and [です] makes the sentence polite. This is a super practical phrase when asking about travel time.

🇯🇵 In Japan: In Japan, estimated travel times are often quite reliable, but [だいたい] leaves a little wiggle room for traffic, weather, or crowds. Very useful for buses and airport transfers.

Phrase Breakdown

だいたい

daitai

[daitai]

about; approximately

Used to give an approximate amount or duration rather than an exact one.

Example

だいたい40分です。

It is about 40 minutes.

40分

40

Words in this phrase

40

40

[yonjuu]

forty

The number 40. Here it is part of a duration.

Example

だいたい40分です。

It is about 40 minutes.

だいたい

daitai

[daitai]

about; approximately

Used to give an approximate amount or duration rather than an exact one.

Example

だいたい40分です。

It is about 40 minutes.

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